George Frideric Handel

Georg Friedrich Händel was born in Halle, Germany on 23 February 1685. He developed keyboard performing skills by the age of seven, and started composing music aged nine. He studied keyboard and composition with Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau, organist of Halle's Liebfraukirche.

Initial university studies in law were abandoned in 1703 on the death of his father, who had been opposed to a musical career for his son. Handel then took a series of music jobs, moving to Hamburg in 1704, travelling to Italy in 1706 and settling permanently in London in 1712.

He was naturalised as a British subject on 22 January 1727, and adopted the anglicized spelling of his name - George Frideric Handel - at this time.

His most famous work, the oratorioMessiah, was first performed in Dublin in 1742, and became associated with annual performances at London's Foundling Hospital. Handel's connection with the hospital is commemmorated by a permanent exhibition at London's Foundling Museum.

He died in London on 14 April 1759, unmarried and having managed to keep his personal life private. Full state honours were given at his funeral, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. Unlike most classical composers, and in spite of losing a fortune in the opera business in 1740, he managed to leave an estate of 20,000 pounds.